One of the disadvantages of getting one's comics on a monthly basis is that if I don't write about them right away (and often if I do), I'm hopelessly behind the rest of the comic blog community. For example, Ms. Marvel. I'm pretty sure I've seen discussion of #19 online and yet here I am talking about #18.
I haven't seen Machine Man in a comic since sometime in the 80s when he guested in Iron Man; in that story, MM thought that IM, like himself, was mechanical, and had come to Stark Industries for a visit and maybe some advice. This being the middle of Tony's alcoholism storyline, he was quite drunk at the time, assumed that MM was hostile, and armored up to fight the intruder. Hilarity did not quite ensue, but it was certainly a memorable comic.
So I don't really have much background on Machine Man/Aaron, but he's entertaining, so I'm happy to see him here.
Now, the Puppet Master. I have a certain fondness for the character; when I was a kid, my favorite book was Fantastic Four, and he (along with the Mole Man, the Mad Thinker, and the Frightful Four) was among their villains. He was always something of a creepy guy, but his activities in this issue--kidnapping, controlling and selling women--seem to be not quite his usual style. Creepy doesn't necessarily mean sleazy. But apart from the questionable characterization (and I've certainly not read every appearance, so possibly he has used his abilities in this way before in other titles--and if not, it's also possible that he's been doing it all along, just not on-panel) it's a somewhat sensational but not unbelievable application of this power.
It does look like he is primarily motivated by profit--the line "I have male stock...but I find that they sell slower" gives the impression that he customizes his "showroom" depending on the client, which could indicate that this is a professional rather than a personal sleaziness. I'm not sure if that's better or worse, but it does make a little more sense, presenting it as his version of a retirement plan. (Sort of like the struggling artist who turns fifty, realizes he has about five bucks in savings, and takes a job doing commercial design just to ensure his financial future. It's not work he's particularly happy to be doing, but it pays the bills.)
On the other hand, according to the story, he's using a new clay that gives him greater control over his subjects. I took that to mean that he could more easily pass that control on to others (his clients), thereby making his power more saleable than it once was, but it could mean that this is the first time he's been able to make subjects do his bidding to that degree, in which case his his prior failure to promote the sexual use of women (and men) could be put down to lack of opportunity rather than lack of interest. But he's held pretty tight control of subjects before, IIRC, so I'm still leaning toward the first interpretation.
It feels strange to be defending the bad guy (particularly one whose crimes are of this sort) in any way, and certainly Pupper Master has been portrayed with varying degrees of sympathy--he traditionally had a soft spot for stepdaughter Alicia Masters (long-time girlfriend of Ben Grimm/the Thing) but it was always a close call as to whether his desire to defeat the FF or his affection for Alicia would dominate in any story. Certainly he was willing to use her for his own purposes in his plots against the FF on numerous occasions. So his willingness to use strangers for his own profit may not be that much of a leap after all. It's just...the pervy vibe seems like a new thing. Perhaps it's simply a sales technique?
I would also like to add that, while so far not badly done, this is another plot twist that might seem more at home in fan fiction (you know, the type where someone wants a reason to have a character act out of character?).
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